


A Withering Black Rose

by Romantik_Kun



Series: Phantom Pain [3]
Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, M/M, Number of Chapters May Change, Romance, Series Finale, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2019-01-21 02:15:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12447520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Romantik_Kun/pseuds/Romantik_Kun
Summary: “Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect.”― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix





	1. Cold Brazier

**Author's Note:**

> Here is the first chunk of my series finale, I hope you will enjoy unraveling more and more of the plot with me :) I always I hope to hear your appreciations, do not hesitate to leave a comment I adore reading you guys! 
> 
> A quick little apology, I had started my new series but ultimately decided to postpone it, instead focusing on finishing this one for the time being. I want to thank Santos.m and Jenny95K who were kind enough to leave a comment on the now deleted chapter, I hope to win you over again with an even better chapter in the future! Thank you for the support, I truly appreciate you were willing to take some of your time to comment on my work. I will not let you down again!

Morning reclaimed the souls of a thousand sleepers, in its wake, it lit the rooms of a thousand more. Casting its warm rays across the land in an attempt to melt the harshness of winter, it flustered the eyes of an exhausted mortal. Forcing them to open and accept the reality of yet another day. Regaining his senses, Chris could feel the fatigue through his muscles and the beat of his heart through his wounds. Deep enough to leave scars, the lacerations reminded him of last night's events. He sat up in bed, unsurprisingly, he was alone. He reveled in silence for a while, celebrating the calm before the storm. Leisurely, he got back on his feet and paced awkwardly toward the bathroom. The pain hindered his movements. He turned in front of the mirror, the cuts looked even worse than they felt. He sighed, knowing it wouldn't be easy to conceal them. He couldn't let his comrades worry, or worse still, suspect him. He disinfected and bandaged the injuries, after what he dressed and left the room. Not forgetting his belongings. He gave the key back and made his way to the agreed meeting point, a nearby cafe, where the rest of his crew would be waiting for him. Fashionably late, he pushed open the door of a charming diner, Jill smiled a relieved smile and invited him over with a gesture. The group sat around the counter. 

"Is Wesker with you?" Leon inquired, obviously still suspicious of the other male. 

"No." He admitted. "When I woke up this morning, he was gone." Now seated he cast his eyes on the menu. 

"It doesn't worry you?" Jill spoke softly. 

"Not really, he was the one to propose we team-up. I don't believe he would have if he wasn't serious." He thanked the waitress and took the first sip of his coffee. 

"Then we should just wait around for him?" Helena leaned of the counter so Chris could see her. 

"If he's still missing after breakfast, then we'll worry about him. Deal?" He shrugged off. 

No one answered, instead, they followed his lead and ordered something to eat. 

\--

An hour went by and still no one. Swallowing the last of his coffee Chris sighed. Admittedly he was anxious too, he had no idea if yesterday had pushed the other man to reconsider. Perhaps he had already disappeared and was now long gone, it was entirely plausible. He put down his mug and tried stretching his back, the burning sensation was uncomfortable at best, maddening at worse. 

"We should start searching for him." Jake suggested, impatient. 

"You're right..." The team leader mumbled. He didn't even know where to start looking. 

The lot of them left the establishment, giving their thanks to the staff. Jake was first in line, pulling open the doors he was met with a surprise. His father had gotten a hold of the handle simultaneously. Their eyes met. Wesker stood aside, leaving room for them to go through. 

"I apologize for my lateness." He spoke as usual. 

Unable to hide their astonishment they remained mute. It was obvious something was different about him. The white coat he now adorned sat perfectly on his broad shoulder, stopping at his hips. Brown pointed toe dress shoes boasted an impeccable shine. His dark-blue pants, hugging his curves nicely, complimented the strong shape of his legs. A large, navy blue, scarf was mounted on his mouth. Brown leather gloves matched his footwear. His hair, sent backward slightly looser than usual, crowned the look. 

"I had neglected to bring a change of clothes. I simply went to remedy the situation." He had another bag in his hand. He eyed the group from head to toes. "Perhaps some of us should consider doing the same." He turned heels and headed for the vehicle. 

Exchanging incredulous looks, they stayed behind a moment before giving suite. The embarked and soon enough the motor roared again, this time heading further south.

\--

Not so much as a word was spoken on the way, each minding their own. Jake couldn't help but stare at his father when the latter wasn't looking, he must not have been as stealthy as he though, soon he met his fiery eyes and was handed a question. 

"Is something the matter?" Wesker shifted slightly in his seat to properly face the young man in front of him. 

"No." Jake adverted his eyes, denying his previous interest. 

Miles still separated them from their objectives, hours, perhaps even days would be spent before they would reach their destination. They couldn't very well spend this whole time in silence. Exchanges of words were inevitable. 

"Aren't I simply fascinating?" Albert joked humorlessly. Earning a confused look, followed by a frown. 

"Maybe not as much as you'd think." Jake instinctively answered. He was quick to react when teased. 

His father chuckled, visibly amused. "Ferocious." 

In the driver's seat, Chris was somewhat relieved to see the other man act as he always did. Also silently grateful he seemed to be entertaining himself with Jake instead of him. A weird mix of anxiety and curiosity tainted the air. Everyone wondered how their relationship would unfold. 

"It's not like that..." Jake tried regaining his composure. As much as he wanted answers, he couldn't bring himself to ask them. His first query would be whether or not he was aware of their bond. This would pave the way to everything else he had wondered his whole life. He sighed. 

"Coeur qui soupire n'a pas ce qu'il désire.*"

"What?" 

"It's a saying. You obviously want to ask something. Let me hear it." 

He was given a chance to reach for the truths he had sought for so long, yet his heart ached and his throat was dry. 

"Do- Do you know who I am..?" He never imagined it would be so difficult to utter such simple words. 

He was met with silence, the heart of everyone present skipped a beat in anticipation for the answer. Albert reached for his scarf and loosened it, granting all who looked, a peek at his deformed jaw. He took a long breath. 

"I do." 

It came as a shock to each. The ensued pause was even more electric than its predecessor. Sherry had been unable to suppress a gasp, now she had a hand on her mouth. Leon and Helena exchanged a worried look, Jill and her partner did the same. Chris eyed his mirror in an attempt to meet Jake's eyes. The latter was frozen in an wide-eyed expression. When he finally regained his grasp he felt compelled to ask again.

"You do?" His voice was low, filled to the brim with emotion. 

Wesker nodded. Still wearing the same cold expression. 

"Why didn't you say anything?" His voice trembled mid-sentence. 

"I thought you might have been spared the knowledge." 

"And you'd just pretend we're strangers?" He spoke more loudly, anger stuck in his throat. 

"Are we not?" 

It felt like a punch to the guts, denying him a breath, making him dizzy. Jake cast his eyes to the ground. Sherry reached out for his hand, squeezing it with all her strength. Her heart went out to him, the blatant rejection was plain for all to see. No one said a word, afraid they'd ignite a stagnant conflict. 

"So that's it uh? You don't even want to know me?" He snarled, still unwilling to make their eyes meet. 

"knowing me..." He emphasized. "Comes with a great deal of burdens." He spoke calmly, his tone was almost gentle. "I am unsure you are prepared to..." 

Jake cut him off. "Don't pretend like you know anything about me. You have no idea what I am prepared to endure." He locked eye contact.

"I see..." For a while it seemed he was at a loss for words. "You're right." He picked up again. "If you have questions and believe the answers will help, ask."

"What happened between you and my mother?" The sole mention of his mother brought a pained glint to Jake's eyes. It felt almost like a plea.

Wesker prepared to tell of a past long buried and forgotten...


	2. Fiery Spark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.”  
> ― Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am glad to present you with chapter two, I worked very hard on that one ahah. I hope you will enjoy and that you will let me hear your thoughts ! I am excited for you to discover the continuation :) Have fun reading !

Drawing a long breath, Albert steadied himself. Aware that his story would displease his entourage, but determined to speak nothing but the truth. He looked into Jake's eyes, a pledge of honesty.

"Your mother and I worked under the same department for a time, namely: Research and Data Collection. We were never properly introduced, that is, until she and I were selected to participate in an experiment..." 

Jake shook his head, blinking uncontrollably. "Wait, hold up. You're telling she also worked for Umbrella?" He was in disbelief. 

"That is the correct assumption. Now, refrain from interrupting me again." He assured himself he had been understood. "The man we both worked under, sought to create a new generation of humans with enhanced capabilities. His past research had lead to failure times and times again, until I disrupted the balance of things. My arrival was a breakthrough, out of twelve potential candidates I alone survived the repetitive tests. Now assured I held the potential he had longed for, he demanded that I procreate.  
Producing an heir was logical, not only would it provide them with a new test subject, it would also prove whether or not my genetic material could be properly passed on.  
I had no say in the matter, neither did your mother once they elected her at the most compatible candidate. It was loveless, platonic, the insemination was made artificially and she found herself under the painful scrutiny of the whole agency. Needless to say, I was quite displeased. I had my own agenda and your arrival was susceptible to make me a liability.  
And so I went to consult with your mother, I was uncertain of her allegiances, whether or not she was loyal to Umbrella. I figured charm would work best, as a mean to manipulate her. After all, pregnancy has a way to make one especially vulnerable. I played my cards appropriately and soon enough she was convinced I acted in her best interests.  
I proposed we fled, together, a very romantic cliché. I fed her some nonsense about having to stay behind for a while, to make sure the organization wouldn't be able to track us down. And I simply sent her on her way.  
As you might imagine it caused quite a stir, she had become the center of attention, coincidentally the shift benefited me.  
Not only was I rid of you, a potential threat, but I became the least of their concern, allowing me all the time I needed to pursue my machinations.  
Two birds, one stone. As the saying goes." 

Jake stayed silent, both his fists clenched tightly. Visibly pushed over the edge, battling to restitute a semblance of calm. 

"Obviously I monitored her situation, I couldn't afford to risk she'd be caught too soon and incriminate me. She surprised me in her resilience, in all honesty, I didn't expect her to survive. I understand she faced dire circumstances, poverty and sickness, among other. Which is deplorable, but it served a purpose.  
I stopped concerning myself with her after the events of Arklay. After which I was quite busied.  
It was years later that I learned you had survived. I chose not to involve myself with you, because I was aware you had antibodies. Which, again, were susceptible to impede my progress.  
The rest is history, you know of your own life." 

His words were finite, he had remained of cold and unapologetic throughout his tale. It was obvious to all that he didn't rightly care, or was doing an awful good job at hiding it. The group remained in shock, afraid of Jake's reaction. The young man whispered through his teeth. 

"You son of a bitch, you used her..." 

"I make no excuse for what I did. And you assured me you were prepared to hear to truth." 

"She kept on telling me, that your were a good man. That you didn't mean to abandon us... she believed in you, until the very end." On the brink of tears, his eyes were full of hatred. 

"Unsurprising, since she was made to believe it. I said earlier that I manipulated her." 

"Don't you feel any remorse?" He shouted, his voice filled with anger. 

"What happened was regrettable, ideally, none of it would have ever happened. But we live in drastically different worlds Jake." He paused. "Where I come from, you either play the game, or you end up with a knife beneath your throat. You'd be a fool to put your trust in anyone, or anything. You learn early on that you're alone and that the world is a cruel, dark place. You can't trust your ears, nor your eyes, even less so your heart. It's a game of logic and statistics, if you're weak, you die. And that is precisely why I am frightened, of all you." He stopped. 

"Afraid?" Jake calmed down. "Why would you be scared of us, of all people?" 

"Because you wear your hearts on your sleeves. You display everything that goes through your head, you tell others what you feel. You make yourselves so vulnerable and yet... and yet you manage to survive. I am scared because it makes me doubt everything I though I knew. You've already opened the door on a thousand weaknesses I could exploit, either to kill or manipulate you. But you're not afraid, are you? Is this ignorance? Are you simply too stubborn to realize I have the upper hand, on all of you?" He sought to meet the eyes of everyone present. "What is it with you people? How are you even still breathing?" He raised his voice. However, he quickly regained his composure. "I apologize, this was off topic." He further adjusted his scarf for more breathing room. 

Although Jake was still furious, he started to notice a pattern in his father's reactions. He felt he came to understand him a little better, truth be told, he was completely unaware of his upbringing, of his past. What he was made to endure and the emotional trauma therein. And something told him, that was something kept under lock and key deep inside the depths of this man's heart. Admittedly, he knew the damages that kind of isolation caused, if it wasn't for Sherry, he might have ended up just the same. That forced him to wonder, whether or not his father had ever been given a chance to be something else... 

"It's fine, I get it. Sort of..." His voice was a lot gentler, anger has subsided and although he wasn't ready to forgive his actions, Jake didn't want to antagonize him. "Now I know the truth, it's all I ever wanted so... thanks." He cast his eyes on the ground, it was a difficult situation all around. 

An hour went by in silence after the deed. From times to times, it looked like Jake was about to reinitiate the conversation, but he swallowed his words each time. Wesker was still closed in on himself. His arms and legs still crossed in an unapproachable manner, hie fiery gaze still wandering outside. He coughed repeatedly at one point, taking everyone by surprise. Although they thought little of it ultimately.

\--

Night was drawing near and time demanded they'd take a break soon. Luck smiled on them and they stumbled upon a small motel, standing alone on the side of the road. It was a deserted route in the middle of the forest, it was a miracle to even come across such a place. But the more they got close, the more apparent it became that this place was abandoned. They stopped there nonetheless, if only to pump more gas into the reservoir. 

Helena was leaning on the Jeep, staring at the decrepit establishment. 

"It might look creepy, but it's not dilapidated. Maybe the rooms aren't so bad." She suggested. 

"Fancy a look?" Leon walked-up to her. 

"Actually, I do. If there are still bed in there, I welcome the chance to roll out my sleeping bag." She smiled.

The duo walked up to the motel after letting Chris know they'd be gone for just a moment. 

Wesker has isolated himself from the group, he paced slowly in circles, not too far from them. 

Jake and Sherry were sitting on a bench that was barely holding itself together, wood rot and moss had reclaimed most of it. The young woman was leaning on the shoulder of her partner. Offering words of comfort. 

Chris was still managing the car, after filling up the tank he turned around to meet Jill, whom was standing next to him. 

"Tough day, uh?" She spoke, exhausted. 

"Yeah, heavy stuff back there, not ideal for long car rides." He joked. 

"You know..." She hesitated. "I never thought I'd say that, but I'm kind of worried about Wesker." She glanced at the man. 

"Worried?" Chris was surprised, he was worried too, but he never imagined anyone would share his sentiment. 

"Don't get me wrong, I still hate him, and I'm way more concerned about Jake. But some of the things he said kind of got to me. I guess... I just realized I don't know him."

"Yeah... I hear you." The team leader sighed, they hadn't exchange so much as a look every since that night. Chris hoped he would get the chance to be alone with the other man later that night. 

Leon and Helena emerged from the building and waved their hands around to get everyone's attention. 

"It's not so bad in there, if we can manage to get the generator running we're in business." The woman said, enthusiastically. 

"What do we need?" Chris responded, welcoming her uplifting attitude. 

"A bit of juice, maybe re-affiliate some wires, shouldn't be too hard." Leon added. 

The whole team met in front of the fabled generator, Chris poured in some gasoline and they tried it once. Nothing. One after the other they tried to figure out the problem, none of them had much luck. In an attempt to get Wesker to participate, Jill solicited his help.

"Would you mind taking a look?" She said, as pleasantly as she could. 

He didn't answer, but approached the machine and knelt down. After a moment he declared: "One of the junction his fried, normally we would need to replace it..." 

Everyone was let down, disappointed to let all their efforts go to waste. 

"I said..." He emphasized. "...normally. If we manage to collide the main power cable directly into this junction..." He worked simultaneously. "Then it should work." The engine roared loudly at first and then settled into a purring. One by one, areas around the motel started to light up. 

Cheering and clapping filled the air. 

"Alright!" Helena chirped. 

They busied themselves with congratulations, quickly after getting back up, Albert attempted to distance himself from the ephemeral festivity. Chris grabbed his arm gently. Their eyes met. 

"Thank you." He whispered, smiling.

Wesker nodded and walked away. 

\-- 

Each had their own room for tonight, although Jake and Sherry stayed together as they always did. All the rooms were right next to each other and so they had no cause for concern, if trouble called they'd be prepared. The moon now hung high in the sky, among shining constellations. Away from the city and its pollution, the stars displayed a magnificent sight. Chris was on the porch, next to the door into his room. A cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth, he hadn't smoke in a while but that night he felt compelled to. It wasn't long before he noticed Albert, sitting alone under a broken street lamp, his head held high towards the sky. The wind blew, and his coat, if beautiful, couldn't possibly shield him from the cold. Chris doubled back inside to fetch is thermal blanket and made way for the other man.

The silver blanket wrapped around Wesker's shoulders, surprising him at first, he let out a small gasp. But then Chris sat down close next to him, reassuringly. 

"Do you mind the company?" 

Albert couldn't repress a subtle smile. "You shouldn't have..." He swaddled himself with the silvery sheet. 

They looked a the stars in silence for a while, Chris had forgotten everything about his smoke. But he couldn't help but notice when the man beside him shivered, trying to repress a cough. 

"Are you alright?" It was the second time today, it couldn't have been a cold, then was it cause for concern? 

"It's nothing. I'm just tired..." He whispered in response. 

He did look exhausted, his complexion was somewhat even paler than usual. Concerned, Chris couldn't contain himself, he passed an arm around him and pulled him close. The ensued warmth was welcomed by both. Staying still for a moment, they rejoiced in the rare intimacy. Forgetting everything, they lost themselves in each other's eyes. The tip of their noses brushed before they closed their eyes and melted into a chaste kiss. 

"What... are you doing...?" A shocked and confused voice emerged from behind them...


	3. The harshest of Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.”  
> ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I apologize for the wait but here is chapter 3 finally! I think it might be a little shorter than the others but I hope you'll still find the content satisfying :) I will be starting to work on Chapter 4 right away so the wait won't be nearly as long (and also because I am excited for the rest ahah) I hope you will let me hear you guys thoughts as always and I wish you a good day! <3

Sherry's voice echoed in the relative silence, nothing but the wind opposed her soft voice as she raised it, shocked yet gentle. She stood but a few feet away in a shy manner, far from her the intent of disturbing the two men, but she could not repress the question. The wind whistled its way between the branches, catching the trio in its wake. 

"Sherry?" Chris mustered the courage to speak, he knew she had seen everything. He reclaimed his arm, prepared to endure a burden of accusation, he couldn't imagine she, or any other, could condone their relationship. 

She remained silent, uncertain of what this discovery would bring.

Chris tried to think of the right words to say, but his mind remained blank, he hand no excuse, nothing to disclose but the truth. And that brought him great sorrow, aware that their situation was marginal. 

Wesker noticed the both of them crashing into an impasse. He raised a calm voice, putting a damp on the raising tension. "Chris, could you excuse us a while?" 

Taken aback, the team leader stayed silent a moment, before nodding and making way for his room. A last, worried, glance at the two before closing the door behind him. 

"Please, sit so we can talk." The man invited. 

She obliged, taking a seat next to him.

"I gather this came as a surprise to you." His voice was deprived of panic, the rhythm in his words soothed her apprehensions.  
"I cannot fault you, our association is something of a mystery. I won't pretend I understand it anymore than you do. What we share is a painful, strenuous, bond. We continuously hurt one another, while continuously seeking each other. I guess, in some twisted way, we must enjoy the way it hurts." He chuckled wistfully.

There was a pause. 

"Do you love him?" She asked, in a whisper. Not a hint of judgement on her being. Only, genuine, sympathetic, concern.

Albert remained surprised for a few seconds, raising a brow. But ultimately laughed softly. "Jake chose well." He remarked. 

The comment brought a blush on the young woman's cheeks. She tried to regain her composure.

"To be honest, I wouldn't know love if it was shoved in my face. I understand very little about Chris, and my feelings for him. I suppose that might be why I am so fascinated with him, in a sense." 

"I see..." She cast her eyes to the ground. 

"Why the dejected look?" He inquired. 

"I don't know, I just... Isn't it sad?" She plunged inside his eyes. 

Yet another silence offered them respite and food for thoughts.

"You are kind, Sherry." He smirked. "Strange that you would remind me of your parents, now, of all times." 

"My parents..." In all the commotion, between this man and Jake, she had forgotten that he had been acquainted with her father and mother. 

"Yes, I knew them. We were... somewhat close. I confess, your mother, I knew little about. But William and I studied and worked together." 

The mention of her late parents brought a sad glint to her eyes. 

"I know you've lost them at a young age, if you are willing, I could offer insight on what they were like, so that you may remember them in a clearer light." He offered, in appreciation. Returning her considerate behavior. 

"It might not be easy, hearing about them from you... but I want to." She admitted. She knew Wesker might offer blunt insight on their uglier self, but she deemed important to know about those as well. 

"When I first met your father, we were both still young. Feels like centuries ago now..." A hint of nostalgia vibrated through his voice. "I admit, at first I cared very little for his attitude. But somehow, this conceited and arrogant behavior did not find its way to me. The first time we talked, we shared theories and debated a social experiment that Umbrella was conducting at the time. He valued me as an equal and I found myself doing the same... Truth be told, he was the closest thing to a friend I ever had. We'd meet at times, and talk about lesser things. It was always very work oriented but on those rare occasion we would share our thoughts. It came as a surprise to me when, one day, he brought up your mother. I imagined he simply wanted to critique her methods, at first. But as he kept on talking it became evident that she had caught his interest. I didn't understand why, but it wasn't my place to say." He chuckled. "Ultimately, it became quite amusing, I witnessed how transformed he would act whenever she was around. Trying too hard to impress her and failing miserably, dressing up weirdly in an attempt to get her to notice him, and the way he'd pout whenever she gift her attention to someone else. I confess, those were some of the best years of my life." He looked up at the stars. "The day she finally talked to him, after wondering how long he'd keep looking at her from afar, she was angry. I remember her telling him to: "Man up" and "sweep her off her feet." I had never seen such a strong blush in all my years. William smiled, she returned it and I guess that was it. Even I recognize their was beauty in that moment..." Taking his amber gaze off the constellations he plunged them into Sherry's blue eyes. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... not matter how they lost themselves in the end. They loved each other and, perhaps more importantly, they loved you." He shared a faint smile. 

Quite a few tears came rushing down her pale rosy cheeks, rendered numb by the bite of a cold wind. There were times in her life where she resented her parents, blamed them for sinking into madness, holding them responsible for the pain in her heart. At times she could not breath, the anger nearly choked her. But with time to heal, her wounds mended and she had opened her eyes to a part of the truth. Hearing Wesker, of all people, speaking fondly of the love they held for her and each other, blew a comforting kiss on an still sensitive scar. 

"Thank you..." She whispered. 

"I should be the one thanking you, both for letting an old fool ramble about the past and for your consideration in that other matter." He winked somewhat playfully. "It is getting late, let us end here for tonight. As for me and Chris, if you wish to disclose our relationship, you are free to do so. Just remember, it is susceptible to hurt Chris, way more than it'd hurt me." Ending the discussion on a cautious warning he paced back toward his own room, closing the door silently behind him, he denied entry to a bitter cold. 

\--

Back in her room, Sherry replaced a lock of her hair, that had been caught in the wind, back into place. She sniffled and rubbed her eyes one last time. Hoping Jake wouldn't notice she had cried and assumed the cold was responsible. 

The young man was in bed, looking over at her. "The hell took you so long? I was about to come out to get you." As per his habit, Jake lacked delicacy but she had learn to focus on his good intentions. 

"I ran into Helena." She smiled.

"Did you guys take a bit to talk?" 

"Yes, it was very... educational." She couldn't help but giggle, wrapping Jake's arms around her lithe frame as she joined him inside the sleeping-bag. 

"You're freezing, gee!" He muffled her inside the extra blanket. "So? What did you guys talk about?" He had a hard time hiding his curiosity.

"Mmh... You wouldn't think, but there's quite a bit of emotions under all that grand talk." She giggled once more. 

"Mh? She's not that bad." He said, pensively. "Then again, I don't really know her, I guess." 

"Jake?" She spoke softly. 

"Yeah?" He responded, whispering in her neck. 

"Do you think, people can change?"

"Where's that coming from?"

"Answer me."

"Well, you changed me, didn't you?" He leaned for a gentle kiss. 

"What do you think convinced you to change exactly?" She was adamant in wanting to push this discussion deeper.

"I don't know... I guess I just fell in love." He blushed a bit. "Are you trying to embarrass me, or something? Sheesh."

She laughed joyfully. "It's not like that. It's just that, if it's love then I think it can make even the harshest of hearts melt..." 

Jake didn't know exactly what she was referring to, but he had a feeling that, even if he asked, her lips would remained sealed and her eyes hopeful. 

\--

Morning was quick to show its light, warming the earth slowly as he granted respite to the moon. It was still early however, and most of the group still laid asleep. Albert was already dressed, he had enjoyed very little sleep, as he always did. Nightmares enjoyed haunting corners of his mind, preying on the moment where he would finally abandon consciousness. There was a strain in his muscles, and the relentless pain in both is arms and jaw was becoming harder and harder to endure. He reached into a small bag, taking out of it a syringe displaying a small code: PG67A/W.

"This is my last dose..." He whispered ominously. "I have to hurry...."


	4. Haunted Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It's because the door hasn't been closed yet that the nightmares still find their way in.”  
> ― Joyce Rachelle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys, I hope you all had a frightening amount of fun on Halloween! As always, I wanted to wish you guys an happy read and hope that you will enjoy the fourth chapter :) Let me know what you guys think, I do so enjoy reading your comments! Until next we meet.

Wesker's eyes flustered open with great difficulty, although he was surrounded by darkness, it hurt to look inside it. His whole body felt numb, he wasn't even sure he could move it. He managed to get up on his feet, a thin layer of water covered the ground, or so he assumed. He could hear its symphony with every new step, the only tangible thing around, him. He walked slowly, with no real grasp on the situation. Pacing aimlessly in the void, he heard a voice, a whisper carried on a stagnant breeze. It came from behind, above, below, everywhere. Its echoes sowing uncertainty. 

"What is this? Am I dreaming?" The rhetoric fell on death hears, for he could not hear himself talk. 

A new voice raised in a incomprehensible charade. One after the other, new whispers addled his senses, monopolizing his thoughts. Speaking more and more loudly in their hushed tone. Covering his ears proved useless, the ghosts inside his mind would not be silence. He tried running, but what good is it to run form oneself? Dashing through the nothingness, burning air he didn't know was there, he couldn't repress a scream. A desperate measure to drown the spirits assaulting his mind. But that too, was lost to his ears. Falling to his knees he squinted at the luminous blackness, scrutinizing its ample silence for a miracle. Far into the deepest reaches of this nightmare he saw a familiar figure. He heard his voice, out of all the ones in his head. 

"Chris!" He shouted with all his might, in vain hopes that his voice would be heard. Walking away, far in front of him, his sole hope turned heel. Another shout, one strong enough hurt his lungs. He attempted to run, toward the only thing he could make out of the dark. A hand reached from under him, seemingly coming out if an unseen abyss. Then another, and then so many more. Dragging him down with them, in the pool of blood he had marched upon. The more he resisted the more he could feel himself sink, the vile liquid burned at the touch. Bloody hands seized him on every inch of his body, clawing and bruising. Gasping for air he let out a last plea. "Please!" The faint light disappeared in the distance as he was blinded. Submerged he could not breath, nor speak, nor think. He began to drown in sins...

\--

In a violent jolt, Albert's eyes swung open. He breathed in the air his nightmares had kept from him, surprising everyone in the car. Indeed, they had resumed their route, aiming to drive as long as possible before needing another respite. Subsiding the numbness, pain reclaimed its due right over Wesker's body. Left out of breath by his own mind he fell back into the seat, exhausted. Once again denied a much needed rest. 

He sighed audibly. 

"You okay?" Jake inquired. Everyone's eyes were on him. 

"Fine." He had no desire to speak of this. 

Concerned Chris kept looking back into the mirror, attempting to identify the confusion. "Do I need to stop the car?" 

"No. Keep going, it was nothing." He wiped a cold sweat off his forehead, a slight shake in his arms. 

Sherry reached for her bag, taking out of it a small water bottle. She handed it to him, a concerned smile on her lips. 

"I don't-" 

"I have another one." She insisted before he could turn down her offer. 

"I see..." He accepted the kind gesture. "Thank you then." He took a few sips. 

Obviously unwilling to disclose the details, the others did not probe him. Although, they recognized he must have had a nightmare. Every last one of them did, more often than not. They drove in relative silence, Wesker often had that effect on people. An hour or two passed, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Jill finally broke the silence with a question. 

"So, Wesker..." She started, more or less catching his attention. "... You want to see Umbrella destroyed once and for all. That's all fun and games, but why exactly did you insist on coming with us? You could have manipulated us into doing all the work for you, I know you did, in the past." 

He remained mute. 

"Something tells me you're after more than just the organization..." 

"Jill." Chris interrupted, darting an unimpressed stare at his partner. 

"I'm not trying to start a conflict, it just seems like a legitimate questions." 

Chris sighed. 

"I know you've said you'd turn yourself in after all this, but somehow I find that hard to believe." She added. 

"Why Jill-" He smirked. "Don't you know? I am a man of my word." Given their history together, he could not have chosen a more obvious lie. 

She frowned. "What about we drop the pleasantries and you tell us why you're really here." She challenged. 

"And spoil the surprise? Perish the thought." He chuckled, infuriating her. 

"You know we don't trust you. We're not naive enough to believe you'll come down without a fight, the only reason we're letting you come along is to keep an eye on you. I know this is the end of one thing and the start of another. We all do." She crossed her arms on her chest, visibly unnerved.

"Mutual understanding is a grand way to begin, we'll get along just fine dear." He dismissed, he cared nothing for her. 

"Do you even care about anything besides yourself?" She barked. 

The others remained silent, but clearly dreaded the incoming exchange. 

"I care for a great many things dear, just not you." 

She frowned harder. "Well at least I know that's not a lie."

"Brilliant, now you can ponder it in your little insignificant mind." 

Looks were exchanged among those who did not speak, acknowledging the harsh debate. 

"Enough, both of you." Chris terminated the conversation. 

"Gladly." Wesker scoffed. 

Jill looked outside her window. 

Admittedly there was always a certain tension between those two, even before it came to light that her former captain was a traitor. Whether it was difference of opinion or plain jealousy remained to be seen. But both rejoined in their interest over Chris, perhaps adding to the rivalry.

"Anyway..." Leon opposed. "Tell us a little more about this facility. It'd be good to know what we're in for before we get there." 

"It's an underground research facility, mainly science oriented, thought I expect there will be fair amount of security protocols. Guards, cameras, traps, you name it. I've never been there myself, it was established long after my time in the organization. Although, I understand they've remained focused on the same old dream. Super soldiers and what not." 

"Anything worth fetching? Or should we just burn the whole damn place down." Jake laid a subtle trap, forcing his father to reveal a more about his potential motives. 

The attempt was noted. "I believe the BSAA could beneficiate from recovering the samples. I suspect they might come in handy should a vaccine be devised." Evidently this man had an answer to everything, and his cards were always carefully folded. 

Jake glanced over at Sherry. 

"He's not wrong, we don't know if these samples are the last specimens." She was forced to acknowledge. 

It was Helena's turn to try and pry information from his dead fingers. "Super soldiers... You said something about that before. Isn't that what Umbrella dubbed the Wesker project?" She feigned ignorance. 

The remark earned her a cold stare. "Indeed." 

"Mind telling us a little more about what it entailed exactly? I can't imagine anyone would be better placed to talk about it." 

"Looking for a sad story?" Great displeasure vibrated through his voice. Sowing uncertainty in the young woman's heart. 

"I was just wondering how exactly they went about making-" 

He cut her short. "They purchased infants and performed a series of tests. Viral injections, poisons... A great majority died, leaving only twelve potential candidates out of hundreds. Those who lived long enough were submitted to yet another battery of test, even more distasteful than the last. They hammered pre-made ideology inside our young brains in hopes we would never question what we were taught. Narrowing down to only 5 survivors. By then we were old enough to fight, an impressive six years old, mind you. The training was harsh, meaninglessly violent. The end goal was that, one day, we'd be able to come out of it without bleeding. In addition we were taught everything that could possibly fit inside our overwhelmed minds. I murdered my first man when I was seven, my instructor, to be more precise. You'd expect it would have gotten me in trouble, instead I caught the unwavering attention of a truly despicable man. Years later the others died, their systems were unable to sustain more... potent viruses. Leaving me as the sole survivor. I can go on if you'd like." 

There was a long, uncomfortable silence. 

"That's quite enough... Thanks." 

"Next time you want to pry into someone else's life, make sure you're prepares to hear the answer." He accused.

Chris frowned sadly, he knew Wesker's childhood couldn't have been an happy one. But for it to be so bluntly rubbed in their faces... It hurt. 

"I would have thought that ideology would have died with Spencer..." Jill came out of her sulking. 

"You'd be surprised to hear exactly how many actually adhered to this "ideology". It was commonly believed that if a child, was not taught feelings then he'd be unable to recognize them. A weapon in the making, nothing more. I have no knowledge of the name my parents gave me, Wesker was something of a title and Albert... I don't know, maybe Spencer thought it up." He wondered silently.

"Have you ever tried to trace back your biological parents..?" Sherry thought to ask.

"I learned of their whereabouts in my youth, though I never mustered the courage to go back. Well, I did, not too long ago. I found nothing but dead whispers..." 

Admittedly, she thought he might have killed them. This raised another question. "You didn't seek revenge?" She hesitated, she knew what she implied. 

"I... Yes. Of course. I just never went through with it..." He frowned, questioning himself. "You know what they say, the truth hurts. I didn't need to have my doubts confirmed." 

The car slowed down and parked on the side of a long, deserted road. Everyone turned their attention onto Chris.

"My bad, I'm getting kind of tired, we're going to have to switch." He stretched. 

"I got this." Leon stepped out of the vehicle to assume the position of driver. Chris went to sit next to Wesker, truth be told, he wasn't that tired. He just wanted to be close, to comfort the other man. He gave him a subtle smile, and a little nod. 

"In any events-" He resumed. "-We near our destination. We should be there in a day or two." 

"Any idea where we'll stop for the night?" Jake inquired. Sherry resting her head on his shoulder. "I know someone's who already tired. 

Chris chuckled. "We'll find something, and if we don't well... camping" He smiled. 

"Hooray." She faked. 

"Ah don't be like that, camping sounds fun." Helena giggled. 

They spent a bit of time chatting idly. Hoping the weather would hold up and what not. At some point Chris noticed Albert holding on to his arm, just above his elbow. Squeezing it as if in pain. 

"Hey, you okay?" He tried asking silently. 

"Do not wo-" He grunted audibly, crisping hi traits. 

"Woah! What's wrong?"

Another loud groan. "St-Stop the car, I just... I just need a minute." He managed to say through his teeth. Struggling to remain calm. 

The car calm to an halt and Wesker barged out of it. Putting some distance between he and the others, he fell down to his knees and vomited, a black and vicious substance. Chris to a step towards him. 

"Stay back!" he warned.

The team leader froze in place. 

Ashamed by the distasteful display, Albert tried repressing a series of cough. Ultimately unable to do so he spat his lungs, irritating his throat in the process. It became so bad that at some point he found himself unable to breath. He gasped for air in between coughs. Finally it stopped, leaving the man utterly exhausted. He had finally burned all of his reserve energy, which allowed him to function up to this point. His vision became blurry, he heard footsteps running his way and then nothing...


	5. Walking The Void

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift.”  
> ― Mary Oliver

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this chapter done much more rapidly than I had anticipated ahah! I am happy to present you the fifth chapter! A quick little piece of news: I might actually write more than 10 chapters, it remains to be seen for now. I hope to hear you guy's thoughts, your support is what gives me the will to write, I will see you soon for another chapter <3

The fortified Jeep stood lonely on the side of the road, traded for a most deserved rest. A simple camp was raised, not far from it, consisting of four tents and a small campfire. Hanging above it, a pot boiled a fair amount of water, sterilizing it. Around the comforting warmth, logs had been installed as improvised stools. Helena, Leon, Sherry, Jake and Jill were all sitting together, rubbing their hands together to warn off the cold. The sunless sky offered small comfort in its beauty. Maintained at a reasonable distance from the fire, rations, still in their boxes. Enough for everyone, no one would go hungry tonight. Chris erupted from inside one of the tents, wearing a concerned look. 

"So?" Jill interrogated. 

"He's running a high fever and he's constantly shaking. How long until the water's ready?" He replied, impatience in his voice.

"Won't be long now. It' almost boiling." Sherry tried to offer encouraging news, it was meager, but what else could she do? 

"Do you have any idea what the cause might be?" Leon asked cautiously, slightly worried the man might be turning into some kind of monsters. 

"No... I-" An idea jumped to mind. "Search his things, keep an eye out for anything that could tell us more." Admittedly, he wasn't thrilled about rummaging through a sick man's personal effects. But he had a feeling Wesker knew of the cause and effects. Only, right now, he was in no condition to share. 

"I'll do it." Sherry quickly volunteered, almost too eager.

"I'll help then." Jake seconded. 

With that said, the water had reached ebullition and would soon be proper to consummation. Chris decanted the fuming liquid into a smaller bottle, the rest he poured into a large plastic recipient a small towel in tow. Careful not to drop it, he disappeared back into the tent. 

Leon helped Helena gathering more wood for the fire, Jill busied herself by melting more clean snow into the pot. Jake and Sherry, as promised, went through Wesker's small bag in hopes they would find something susceptible to help. 

"That's what you call travelling light." The young man remarked. 

A change of clothe, a journal, a pen and a wallet. That was it. 

"There might be something in this pocket then." The young women hoped. 

Jake grabbed the journal and started reading. 

"I think I found something!" She exclaimed. 

Indeed, inside a somewhat hidden pocket laid a single syringe, empty, deprived of purpose. Jill rejoined her, seeking to lay eyes on her discovery. She recognize the label. 

"This is Wesker's serum, it is instrumental in keeping the virus in check." She commented, a frown painted on her visage. "This one's empty, are there more?" She pressed. 

"N-No..." Sherry rummaged deeper into the bag, in case she had missed anything. "Sorry." She cast her eyes to the ground, disappointed. 

"It's not your fault." Jill smiled, comforting her. "I better let Chris know. I think I know what's going on." She left. 

While Sherry put everything back into place, she noticed the journal was missing, turning around she saw it in Jake's possession. 

"What are you doing?" she whispered loudly, slightly unnerved. "We're not supposed to-" 

Leon interrupted. "Sherry, I know you're only being kind but, given the circumstances, don't you think we can afford not being completely honest?" 

"But-" 

"Beside, there might be something worth knowing inside that thing." 

"I guess..." She was nervous, while she didn't expect Wesker to keep a personal diary where he would write about his day or his feelings, she worried that something written in it might tip off the others on his and Chris's relationship. She didn't want to think about how Jill would react, if she found out.

"Anything good?" Helena peeked. 

"I can't make sense of it all... It's mostly formulas. Must have skipped that part of school." He joked, tossing the journal over to Leon. 

Taking a look inside, Leon squinted. "You don't say, either I'm starting to forget things or I skipped that lesson as well." he allowed the girls to take a look as well. 

Helena cringed, making it rather clear that she could not make head or tails of this gibberish. Sherry kept on turning the pages, from times to times, a formula would catch her attention. Somehow, it felt familiar. This feeling of deja-vue would not leave her, she felt like the solution was on the tip of her tongue and yet...

"What's wrong?" Jake raised an eyebrow. 

"I don't know... I feel like I've seen this somewhere before." She rubbed her temple and grunted. "This is so frustrating." 

"Well, maybe it'll come back to you." 

Jill and Chris came out of the tent together.

The man spoke first. "We managed to ease his fever... or maybe he did it on his own, who knows. Point his, he's recovering." He let out a sigh of relief. 

"He must have taken his last dose not long ago, maybe just a tad too late." The woman added. 

"So he'll be fine?" The scarred young man asked, not that he was worried... 

"Probably." The team leader answered, while warming up to the fire.

"Is it okay to leave him alone?" Sherry seemed ready to leave for his side. 

"Well..." Jill looked over at her partner. 

"In a moment of lucidity he told us to get the hell out." Chris laughed a little. 

"Couldn't even manage to say thanks. Not that I'm surprised." Jill mimicked a grumpy face, mocking her nemesis. 

With the tension eased, the group managed to share a bit of calm while heating up the rations for tonight's supper. Refield kept on looking over his shoulder, towards the tent, visibly worried. Surely he'd invite himself over with dinner once it would be ready. The team was surprised to see Chris so concerned with the other man, well, almost everyone. 

"You should know-" Jake raised his voice. "We found a journal in my dad's things, if you want to take a look." He threw the leather-covered book his way. Jill leaned in close to sneak a peek. 

"What's this? I can't make sense of it." He admitted, glancing over a the woman next to him. She shook her head.

"No one can. Sherry recognized something though." Helena disclosed. 

"You do?" 

"I'm not certain actually, it just feels like I might have seen some of these formulas before." She plunged back into introspection. 

Chris rapidly flipped the pages, in an attempt to see if anything would stand out. A photo found its way out of the book, falling face down onto the snow. 

"Shit."

Chris quickly picked it back up, flipping it over. He froze in a wide-eyed expression. 

"What is it?" Leon asked, speaking everyone's mind. 

"It's..." Speechless the team leader continuously stared at the tattered photography. "...S.T.A.R.S." He finally whispered, nostalgia in his eyes. Displaying the picture so all could see. "Why does he still have it?" He asked silently. 

There was silence, no one knew what to say. 

"Where did it fall from?" Jake suggested. 

Looking at the page in question, he read something akin to a report on the events of Arklay, twenty years ago. It was greatly detailed, some personal notes were written in the margin. Nearly ten pages were dedicated to this case, in parallel to the more recurring two or three pages format. At the very end of it, written in haste; Do not lose focus, this is necessary.  
As if to remind himself. 

The painful reminder of Albert's past actions made Chris dizzy, whenever he managed to forget about his crimes, they always found their way back to him. He frowned, the memories of the friends he had lost there, tearing at his heart. He folded back the picture and reinserted it inside the logbook. 

"Are you alright, you two?" Leon asked with concern. 

"We're fine, thank you." Jill answered for both of them, she knew Chris could get deeply emotional over the past, she thought it was best left behind, at least for now. 

The tent swung open, Albert paced hurriedly towards the group, snatching the journal from Chris's hand before he could understand what was going on. 

"You damned vultures, were you never taught to keep your noses out of other people's business." He spoke angrily, dressed much too lightly to endure the cold, his complexion looking horrendous. His visage was pale, dark circles surrounded his eyes, betraying his exhaustion. His eyes were bloodshot, the exposed nerves in his jaw pulsated with each words, a pearl of sweat found its way down his neck. He flipped the pages angrily, making sure nothing had been torn out, clearly doubting his company's motives. Satisfied he close it in a loud thud, turning around violently to look at the perpetrators who had stayed silent through the ordeal, surprised to see him on his feet already. "Never. Again." He emphasized, rage vibrating through his voice as he made his way back into hiding. 

Still speechless the squad exchanged looks. Jill was obviously infuriated, but she tried repressing her anger, wanting to spare the burden of another dispute to her comrades. 

"Why did he have to make such a big deal out of this shit?" Jake barked, him too unnerved. 

Unlike the rest of them, Sherry remained calm, she had just figured out what the formula reminded her of. It was one of her father's pet project, she had seen it scribbled on the white board in her house so many times. She remembered her parents, trying to make sense of it while amusing their daughter. She was surprised however, it bore very little correlation to Albert's work, for all she knew, it was never of great import either. Simply, it was her father's way of researching and categorizing human emotions, she never understood it, but she knew it was about turning love into a mathematical formula. In hopes to, as William used to say, "uncover its secret." She remembered how her mother would always laugh whenever she heard him go on about it, and the way he'd return her smile. One particular thing stood out, once she had heard him say: "It's to help a friend." After what he would smirk playfully. She got up on her feet. 

"Where are you going?" She surprised everyone. 

"I'll just have a talk with Wesker." She said softly. 

"What? Are you nuts?" Jake opposed. "Leave him alone, if he wants to sulk, it's his damn problem." He scoffed. 

"No offense Jake, but you don't understand what's going on right now." She shut him up, earning a pained look. "Leave this to me." Clearly, nothing would change her mind, and so they let her go. She disappeared into the tent after announcing herself. 

Jake flashed a worried look. Wesker wasn't feeling good, who knew how this would transpire. 

They apparently spent a long while talking, because the duo reappeared two hours later. Wesker was better equipped to ward off the cold this time around and seemed a lot calmer. Sherry looked somewhat content as she regained her place by her boyfriend's sides. Albert stood silent for a while, everyone's eyes on him. 

"I apologize for my conduct earlier, I was still dazed. Of course, I can hardly fault you for your curiosity. After all, it is rather lesser in comparison to what I submitted you to, in the past. And thank you, for looking after me." The last part he said with disdain, but it was enough that he'd admit it. 

With the ordeal behind them, they shared a meal, all in all impressed by Wesker's regenerative capabilities. Although, everyone wondered what would become of him if denied his serum a second time. Chris was still shaken, the memories of Arklay assaulting his mind. But with Jill's help he managed to put it past him. After what they all headed to sleep, in need of some recuperation for their future challenges. 

\--

As the morning's sun shined upon them, they disassembled their camp, hurling their cargo into the back of the truck. They readied themselves for another day on the road, but as they got on board Albert remained out of the vehicle, looking over a the mountain in front of him. 

"You comin' or what?" Jake asked nonchalantly.

"That won't be necessary, I believe we'd progress faster if we cut through the mountain." He spoke in is usual coldness.

"Are you serious?" Chris asked, looking back at their map. 

"Yes, our destination lies across it. We'd loose another day if we went there by car, we might save some times if we walk fast enough. Besides, I hear mountain air does wonders for the soul." Without waiting for his compatriots he started walking up the trail. 

Everyone gave suite, aware that arguing the man was pointless, they were forced to abandon most of their supplies however. Wesker lead the group, pacing rapidly through the forest and up the steep track. Focused on their steps, few words were exchanged. They spent hours in relative silence, becoming more and more tired. Although they proposed a break here and there, Albert would hear none of it. It became obvious he was impatient to reach their destination. The sun was already starting to excuse itself, it would be dangerous to walk through the forest at night, each hoped they would arrive soon. And then, seemingly out of the blue Wesker stopped. 

"What is it?" The team leader asked, slightly panting. Looking around them for answer. 

"We're here." Wesker knelt down, in front of him, under a thick layer of snow, a metallic hatch laid. He swept the remaining snow off of it before grabbing the handle and turning it. To everyone's surprise, it opened. 

"Isn't that too easy?" Jake worried. "I thought we were supposed to enter a super high-tech facility, with guards and shits." 

"This gives in the maintenance area." Wesker responded coldly. 

"Wait a minute, I thought you barely knew about this facility." Chris inquired. 

The other man remained silent. 

Jill frowned severely. "You said you had never been there before." She accused.

"A white lie. Unimportant, let us go in." He prompted, before throwing himself inside. 

The others hesitated a moment.

"We should follow him." Leon suggested. "We wouldn't want him to go on ahead without us." 

They followed him into a narrow conduct, they crawled and crawled. Wondering if they'd eventually get out. Finally Wesker prompted open a ventilation, he waited for them to get close. 

"After you." He courteously invited, sarcasm in his voice. 

They were now inside a humongous warehouse, the roof hung high above their heads, neons lit the area in their cold light. Crates after crates were piled up in impressive pyramids. A metallic staircase gave them access to higher grounds. Far to their right laid strange pods, alike to the ones Wesker had made used of back in Africa. To their left, they could make out several trucks, loaded to the brink with more of those tightly sealed crates. Carefully hidden behind a large cargo the group scouted the area for any sign of human activity. Nothing, although they could make out a multitude of security cameras, luckily they were in their blindside for the time being. Evidently Wesker knew exactly where they'd end up, it became evident he had scouted the area ahead of time. 

"So now what?" Jill whispered. 

"Now you fulfill your end of the bargain." Wesker answered, he stepped out of cover and vanished out of thin air, seemingly materializing on the other side of the room, next to a door in the pod area. Carefully exploiting the camera blind spot he let himself inside, now out of sight. 

"God dammit!" Chris whispered loudly, he sighed. "Alright, too late to go back now, we're doing this." He designated the most secure route they could possibly borrow to give suite to Wesker. But they couldn't possibly get past the cameras... They had no choice but to give away their position. As they prepared to step out of cover, the whole area went dark, in the blink of an eye the whole facility lost its power, leaving them and everyone else totally blinded...


	6. Silent Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Just because something isn't a lie does not mean that it isn't deceptive. A liar knows that he is a liar, but one who speaks mere portions of truth in order to deceive is a craftsman of destruction.”  
> ― Criss Jami

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! Chapter 6 is here and things are getting exciting! (Or at least I hope lol) I have put a great deal of energy into writing this, I hope it will find a way to interest you :) As previously mentioned, this story might have more chapters to it than I intended (I got a little carried away) but hopefully it will be worth your time, I hope you like it and let me know what you think! Love you guys <3
> 
> Ps: The rapidity with which the next chapter will come will depend on the reception, as always. Thank you for understanding :)

The faint sound of a power generator activated in the distance, gracing the area with ominous red lights, strategically placed to highlight exits and other valued locations. A piercing echo tore the silence, the emergency system came online, trapping the infiltrators like mice in a maze. Metallic shutters sealed them in, most doors now inaccessible, with the exception of the lone emergency exit. Their routes now narrowed down to a single path the group had little need for hesitation. Keeping their formation tight they stumbled through the darkness, despite there being a couple of still functioning neons, it was still quite hard to see. Granted, they might have made use of their flashlights, but mindful of their surrounding they preferred not to draw unnecessary attention. Chris led the team through a single door, rather simple compared to the other ones around. It lead them to a long set of metallic stairs, they hurried up. Everywhere in the facility an automated message could be heard, prompting the staff to remain calm and await for further directives. The narrowness of the stair case forced them to walk one behind the other, their stomps echoing through the metal. In the thick of action, they had no time to spare worrying about Wesker, right now all that mattered was finding a more or less secure area to plan ahead. With each floor they met a new door, leading into god-knows-what, as they skipped the one marked with a 03 they heard a thundering voice. 

"I want everyone in the pod area, now!" The muffled voice of a shouting man resonated. 

"Shit, get in." Chris kicked in the door and prompted his team-mates inside. They found themselves in absolute blackness, they waited for the enemy troupe to pass them on their way down, and then for silence. It was serviced not long after. Chris whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear: "Alright, get your flash on people." He basked the area in the light artificial light, the lot of them together sufficed to carve a path through the void. They stood in an deserted hallway, doors were scattered on the walls, numbered with complex annotations. 

"Where to hero?" Jake's spoke silently. 

"Keep your heads down and your guards up." The leader terminated. 

Pacing slowly through the corridor they inspected each doors, each sealed tightly, whatever was in there was best left undisturbed. Soon they were confronted with a choice, either they went right, or left. 

"You know what they say-" Leon spoke, in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Always go right." 

Helena let slip a short, nervous laugh.

It was more of the same, sturdy doors; titled eccentrically, unending corridors and nothing but darkness all around. Their boots resonated through the emptiness of silence. The automated message had ended, no alarm, no sirens. It was quiet, too quiet... As they arrived a the end of one corridor, they stepped into another, hard to say if they were going in circles or not. Sherry started memorizing the numbers on the doors, as to make sure. Yet they were always different, they were simply digging deeper and deeper into something they knew nothing about. Luck smiled on them when they finally stumbled across some kind of office, it too, plunged into night. The settled for a breather. 

"Dammit." Chris cursed as he locked the door behind him. "I should have seen this coming." He blamed himself, for running into a trap unprepared and for allowing Wesker to get away with it. 

"Slow down, Chris. As far as we know, Wesker was the one to bring the lights down. It might not have helped us in the way we hoped but at least we don't have to worry about the cameras and we were able to slip past undetected." She tried reasoning with her squad who were quick to dismiss Albert's actions as betrayal. "Besides, no alarms have been tripped, for now they only suspect a power outage. We can turn this to our advantage." 

Leaning on a wall the team leader took a deep breath. "You're right. If he wanted to set us up he would have shone the spotlight on us... Let's not jump to conclusions." He sighed, more relaxed. 

"Chris, you can't sincerely believe Wesker is on our side. If he hasn't betrayed us yet, he will sooner or later." Jill warned. 

"It may be so, but right now we can't say that he has for certain. Let's play his game for now." 

"Yeah, yeah. It's all fun and games but what the fuck do we do now? No offense but I think we might be a tad outnumbered here." Jake's famous sarcasm found its way into the debate. 

"Stay calm kid, there might be something we can use. Look around." Leon busied the young mercenary with a task. 

He scoffed but obliged. 

"I'll help you look." Helena offered a hand. 

Sherry remembered her talk with Wesker the night before, she was certain he hadn't set them up, she wasn't certain she could trust him but so far their infiltration had been a success, if chaotic. "Wesker went to the pod area. That's where the troupe from earlier was heading." She observed with worry. 

"Don't worry Sherry, Wesker can take care of himself. Right now we need to pin point the targets locations." Making sure his arsenal was ready for use he continued. "We find the higher ups, we terminate them. Without their leaders the rest will scatter, it'll be easier to deal with them afterward. When that's wrapped up, we radio for back-up." He clipped another magazine to his belt. 

"You're making it sound easy." Jake snarled. 

"It'll be hard fought, no way around it." 

"What about Wesker." Leon inquired. 

"We worry about him later..." 

"Don't you think he might slip through our fingers if we give him enough time?" Jill leaned her hips on a nearby bureau. 

"Even if we track him down now, he has the upper hand on us. He knows this facility and besides, enemy movements were heading his way. We have to tear through their defenses before we can confront them head on." 

She nodded. "You're right."

"Sorry to interrupt, I think I found something." A feminine voice raised. 

"What is it?" 

Helena pointed at a detailed map of the third floor, titled: Prototypes Containment Zone". 

"Great..." Jake sighed. 

"We're making our way out of this floor and higher up. I bet the boss of this place will be in a nicer part of the facility... if there is one." Chris made way for the door. "Keep the chatter to a minimum, we don't want a BOW on our hands." The group followed. 

Out of the office and back into the corridor they jogged, keeping their feet light. They passed countless more of those metallic vaults, not knowing what kind of monstrosity might lay behind each of them. They slowed down, making sure they headed in the right direction, that's when Sherry heard a soft voice coming from behind the reinforced steel. 

"H-Help me... please..." It sounded like a woman, her voice filled with terror as she sobbed her plea. 

"Wait!" The young woman whispered. "There's someone in there." Urgency in her voice. "We have to help." 

The rest of the crew scrutinized the silence and heard it too, the same words repeated over and over, like a broken record. Chris frowned severely, he wanted to help, but bringing along a civilian would be needlessly dangerous for now. Sherry sensed his hesitation. 

"Can't we at least get her out and someplace safe? Like back in that office."

The plea continued. 

"Dammit... alright." Upon closer inspection, they could tell the locks were still functioning, except they didn't have the codes. "Shit, there's no way to open this without the pass code." He tried forcing it open, it didn't budge. Inside, the voice changed into a violent sob, no doubt the poor woman had heard the attempt and was now getting desperate. 

"Maybe we can hack into it from the office, if we can manage to power-up their PC." Leon suggested. 

"Alright, let's split. Jill and I will go and look for a way to open this. The rest of you stay here and prepare to escort the civilian back to our position." 

The crew nodded and Chris and Jill doubled back. Without their comms they couldn't keep in touch once they were separated, hopefully this would go over well, or so they hoped against hope.

\-- 

Jake paced in circles, waiting for the moment the door would finally open. With nothing but time on his hands he tried to make sense of the numbers carved into the vault. It was a series of number, he couldn't make sense of it without the legend. The woman was still crying, her heart wrenching pleas were difficult to ignore, they almost felt compelling... 

\--

Jill entered the office with her partner, their objective was standing atop a bureau, still a semblance of juice pumped into it. Luckily, it would seem the CPUs were maintained alive by the generator, and this laptop still had some fight left in him. Another stroke of luck, the user's session had been left open. 

"Here, I got the magnetic lock codes. Whoever PC that is must have a high security clearance." She rejoiced. "Seems I can open it from here." She prompted a series of agreement. Finally, it seemed the door would open over at their friend's location.

\--

There was a beeping noise, the light hanging above the door turned from red to green and the lock released. Granting them the right to open the it at their leisure. 

Leon stepped up, and took out his gun. "Be ready, just in case." He warned the others. 

Pressing the clearance button allowed the door to open, the inside of the cell was pitch black they couldn't make out her where about. But she could still hear her soft sobbing. 

"Come out, you're safe now." Sherry tried reassuring her. 

The cries stopped abruptly. Jake, who was standing a few feet away noticed the lock now displayed a name: Prototype Banshee. He frowned a second before the realization sank in. 

"Get back!" He shouted, yanking Sherry out of the way. 

Just as he did a piercing wail resonated, a handful of sharp claws swept the air where Sherry stood a mere second ago. A creature, pale as snow, pounced out of confinement, grabbing the young man in its wake. He struggled to get free, the humanoid creature, if thin, possessed enormous strength. Leon shot twice, the second shot allowed Jake to outmaneuver the creature. It stumble a few feet away, now on his feet, Jake was granted a clear look of the monster. 

Pale skin covered most of her hairless body, her visage; deprived of features had nothing to show but two slits for eyes and a humongous gaping hole, going down to her neck and across her belly, narrowing down to her pubis. Coming out of where her mouth should have been, a grotesque arrangement of teeth stood crooked, her tongue hanging from his in a bloody mess. At the tip of her fingers, long, claw-like nails split their way out of her flesh. Her whole body shivered with every new steps, her legs; crooked as if broken, dancing awkwardly as she recovered from the shock. 

"Dammit!" Jake barked, her claws had tore through his flesh, leaving new scars on his chest. 

Sherry armed herself and pointed her gun at the monster. It continued to plea in its soft, misleading voice. The young woman trembled as she aimed for the creature's head. Of all the atrocities she had witnessed, something about this vile creature spoke to her... 

Helena and Leon shot repetitively, in an attempt to bring it down. Jake pounced on it, tangling with it, cornering he back into the cell where it belonged. The two agent didn't have a clear line of sight. 

"Sherry! Shoot her!" The wounded mercenary shouted. 

It took a great deal of courage to finally pull the trigger, stumbling back into the dark corner of its room, Jake was able to press the button, sealing it back inside. He on his knees, grabbing his side. 

"Damn bitch!" He swore under his breath. 

Sherry calmed down, after regaining her bearings she fussed over her boyfriend. But, still astonished, she remained silent. 

"Are you okay?" The young man hesitated.

"I-I'm... fine..." She blinked. 

At the same time Chris and Jill turned the corner, out of breath. 

"What happened here!?" Chris interrogated. 

"It was a BOW, disguising its voice, it got Jake." Leon gave an overview. 

"It's just a scratch." He dismissed. 

"Damn this place." Jill cursed. 

"It's my fault..." Sherry blamed herself. 

"Stop, we all made this decision together. We can't let it drag us down, we need to keep moving. We're sure to have gathered unwanted attention now." The team leader spoke. 

As they worried about the upcoming counter measure they made way for their original destination, a far reaching echo displayed a painful scream, gunfire and then nothing. It came from above, now they had a sense of where Wesker might have been.

\--

Albert walked leisurely through the blood tainted corridor, corpses lying around him, robbed of their light. His claws brushed against the walls as he paced through the darkness, the heels on his shoes echoing elegantly. He had discarded his coat, leaving it behind, his dress shirt stained with a few drops of blood, was twice unbuttoned; sneaking a peek at his muscular shape. 

He sighed. "This is why I never wear white." He remarked, feeling the slight wetness on his pectoral. 

He had heard the commotion below, he guessed Chris and the others must have been at the heart of it, but he had no time to spare worrying about the squad. At the very end of the corridor, a light shone under the door giving into the research assessment division. He assured his steps. Opening the door as he did any other he calmly let himself in. Curiously this whole area was lit. A large room, full of filled shelves, knowledge ripe for the taking. But he knew why he was there, he made way for the file cabinet he knew held the information he sought. Out of every binder in the room, only this one was missing. 

"How very frustrating." He huffed softly. "Fine, I guess I can spare a few more minutes on this." He left the room through another door, plunged into darkness once again. 

He dematerialized and materialized back numerous time, speeding along his progress. At some point he found himself in a large library, the whole atmosphere changed. Stylized into a chic and dignified athenaeum, dimly lit, yet fit for comfort. A feeling of deja-vue swarmed him... 

"So, you have come..." A familiar voice erupted from behind him, sending a shiver down his neck...


	7. Old Wounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I think... if it is true that  
> there are as many minds as there  
> are heads, then there are as many  
> kinds of love as there are hearts.”  
> ― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys :) The end is near and I hope you guys are loving the way this is unraveling, for those missing the fluff make sure to read the next chapter for you fair share ahah! I hope to hear what you guys thought of this one in the meantime <3

"My, this is a surprise." Wesker broke the silence, his voice bouncing on the walls of the grandiose room. "I have to say; After our last encounter I never expected to have this pleasure again... old friend." Carefully hidden sarcasm in his words. 

He turned around slowly, meeting the eyes of the man he once killed. Seated on an imposing armchair, an old man rested. His white hair, carefully slicked back, his pale eyes; filled with judgement, yet his thin lips smiled. A forgotten feeling crept out of Albert's heart, an anxiety, a compulsiveness he had long sought to put past him. An icy stare plunged in the brazier of his own, as they scrutinized the silence that told them everything they needed to hear. Wesker managed a smile. 

"You never fail to impress, I would ask how you managed it but... I reckon you're not in a talkative mood." 

The man stood up, his back maintaining a straight posture. "Quite the opposite, I cherished the thought of conversing with you again." He paced down the couple of stairs that led up to his throne. His tone, almost jovial. Albert unconsciously took a step back, a gesture that did not went unnoticed, forcing a subtle smile on this man's lips. "Now, now, child-" His voice echoed as he raised it. "-No need to be afraid." The smile spread widely.

"A curious idea, who would not be delighted to see you?" He camouflaged his unease behind a few lies. 

The imposing presence continued his march, closing the distance between them. "I feared for the worst after hearing of your demise back in Africa." The old man reached for Albert's cheek, caressing it, he brought his fingers down to his chin and grabbed it delicately; observing the black formation wiring his skeleton. "What have they done to you?" He squinted, letting out a pained sigh. "I had hoped you might come back to me unscathed." He let go, and paced slowly past the quiet man. 

"You were expecting me." Albert confirmed quietly, his mind drowned in doubt. 

"You're such a brilliant creature Albert, it's unbefitting of you to be so naive." He poured an ounce of Whiskey in two small glasses. "Have I not told you; times and times again, that your life is bound to me?" He handed the poison to his guest. 

Albert graciously accepted the small gesture. In a game of deceit, one must never reveal his cards. "My thanks." He sipped it, washing away the bad taste the previous insult had left in his mouth. "Quite the facility-" He complimented. "-I am thoroughly impressed with your new installations." 

"Ah-" The elder sighed in delight. "-But without you here it always felt so empty." The exchange of false courtesies continued. 

"I cannot imagine anyone within the Spencer lineage has accomplished as much as you did, truly, you never fail to raise the bar." 

"I know why you are here, Albert." Spencer, ended the pleasantries. 

"I'd be sorely disappointed if you didn't."

"After your betrayal, I was tempted to hunt you down, but since your..." He paused, searching for the right word with a gesture of his hand. "...'momentary diversion' served a purpose, I graced you with forgiveness." He put down the empty glass. "I did, however, expected you to come to your senses. Unfortunately, by bringing the B.S.A.A here, you prove your unfaithfulness once again." 

Albert chuckled. "The B.S.A.A? Please. I've merely lured them into a perfect trap. Are you not glad to have a shot at vengeance?" He tried manipulating the circumstances to derive the blame from himself. 

Spencer pondered in silence. "I have been reborn, and with it, a new ideology. While I still pursue the same goal, I have a significantly different approach to its completion." He looked in the void. "You claim to be loyal to me still... I am willing to embrace this truth, but you understand my need for caution." 

"Of course, it is most fickle after the wrongs you have suffered from." Still maintaining a cold exterior, he smiled. 

"Then give me your son's life." 

The request froze the blood in his veins. "I beg your pardon?" 

"You are useless to me now, I need a new test subjects. Those I have gathered so far are... unsatisfactory. Once you've proven your allegiance, I suppose I might want to keep you... for company." He smirked. 

"For company..." he repeated, "Why you arrogant fool." Struggling to keep his emotions under control Wesker got on his feet. "You deviant ordure, you may as well choke on your pathetic vision. You have no need of me?" He forced a thundering laugh. "Without me, you are a failure!" He shouted. "Your researches availed to nothing until you found me! You would still be stumbling in the dark had you not found me, you would have died a miserable insect!" Still he spoke, anger in his voice, it was unlike him to suffocate on rage has he did. "While I! I had a future, had you not barged into my life I could have accomplished great things!" He fell out of breath. His breathing out of tune and his fists clenched, he struggled to maintain what little composure he had left. 

"Do not blame me for your parents avarice. They were glad to rid themselves of the nuisance you were. That you would spit on the love I have for you..." 

He did not let him finish. "Love?! I was but a child when you first laid your hands on me!" He screamed, his tone was desperate, few people could ever warrant such a reaction out of him. "You treated me like a pet! Once you figured out my potential, you used me as a weapon! You never loved me!" 

"Nor did anyone." 

Those few words sufficed to break something inside of him. "You..." Breathless, speechless, faced once again with the man that robbed him of everything, he snapped. "Stop..." 

"You need to come to terms with the undeniable Albert." He too, got up. "You are here because I willed it, every minutes of your life is dedicated to me. Knowingly or not; you have done my bidding." 

"Lies. I've brought the B.S.A.A here..." 

"To their demise, as you so graciously mentioned." He stroke Albert's hair, playfully tangling his fingers into the locks of dark hair. "They will die, your son will serve a new purpose; one of greatness. And you, will stand by my sides, as you were meant to." He smiled, his eyes filled with a twisted warmth. 

A tear ran down Wesker's cheek and then he broke down in a laugh, confusing his elder. "I'll tear you apart, you'll never lend a single finger on that boy." He grappled the feeble neck of his adversary with the intent to crush it. For a few seconds it seemed within reach but then a sharp pain burdened the side of his neck, causing him to loose his strength. He stumbled to his knees, an excruciating pain plagued his entire body.

Able to regain his footing and his voice the older man uttered a few words. "Oh but I won't have to... you'll be the one to deliver their fate to them..." 

Still on his knees, his head between his hands he clawed the flesh at the back of his neck in agony. Unable to feel and reason past the pain, his mind drowned in his own painful screams and his visions dimmed until he saw no more... 

\--

Chris and the others heard the echo of a long series of painful screams, a man's voice. They stopped in their tracks, looking at each other for answers. Finally, silence reclaimed the space. 

"What was that?" Jake, said in indignation.

"Nothing good." Their team leader answered. "We better hurry." 

They picked up the pace and ran through the unending corridors, passing god knows how many doors in their wake. Unsure of their exact trajectory they hoped to identify the confusion. Each pondered their own worries in between pants, their boots hitting the floors relentlessly, it wasn't long before they face a door; more imposing than the others, giving into a secluded area. 

Chris tried to open it. "Dammit, it's sealed!" 

"We can always backtrack." Helena said, her breath short. 

"A minute!" Sherry opposed. The area was labeled intricately and the imposing metallic doors were cold. "This is a cold room! They must be keeping some of their samples in there!" 

"Then we need a way in." Leon prompted. 

"And fast, remember, this is where they'll be keeping the serum Wesker's needs. If we can get it for him at least we'll have some kind of insurance." Jill clarified. 

"Right." Chris busied himself looking over the electronic panel. "We need a series of codes, fuck..." 

"Hang on a minute, maybe we can bypass security, I'll patch Hunnigan in. We'll try a couple of things." He got on his radio. 

While Leon followed her instruction, the others enjoyed a much appreciated rest, even if the lot of them still worried their minds. Chris wondered silently about Albert's whereabouts, a frightening idea came to mind; what if the screams from before..? While he acknowledged the idea, more gunfire and screams resonated in the distance. This had been going on for a while now, and each time closer to them. 

"Leon, how's that door?" 

"Doing my best, captain. I need to concentrate." 

The team leader went back to his concerns. Minutes went by, the group started to get agitated, the pressure was making it difficult to stay put. More scenes of violence, closer than ever before. The voices were clear enough to make out: 

"Dammit stay back! Goddamn monster!" 

"Pull back! Pull back!" 

More gunfire. And then an horrible screech, barely human. They could make out sounds of flesh being pulled apart and the loud thuds of lifeless limbs falling onto the ground. Everything lost in the darkness of the corridors. 

"Shit." Jake whispered. 

They all got a hold of their armaments, pointing their guns into the void. Their flashlights illuminated but a portion of the corridor and far of in the distance, obscurity still reigned. The scrutinized the silence for a moment, nothing. 

"Is it coming this way?" Sherry managed to ask in a quiet voice. 

Just as she laid down her question, a silhouette moved the shadows. They readied themselves to fire; the creature entered the light: Black mineral substance covered its entire body, still shaped like a man, except for its elongated claw-like fingers. The edges on his skin; like black diamonds, reflected a portion of the light. On his head; the jewel-like fragments had sorted themselves into a strange arrangement resembling a crown. It walked completely silently through the corridor and towards them, like the flight of an owl. Out of its throat clicking noises escaped, like tiny lamentation. 

"Chris!" Jill, called out. 

Everyone, waiting on his order to fire. But he could not give it, still in disbelief he recognized Wesker's silhouette. "Wesker..."

"What!?" Jake blurted out. "Dammit, what do we do?!" 

"We get the serum." He spoke calmly. "Leon, you work on that door, we'll hold him off." 

"Chris that's insane, if his transformation has reached this stage we can't possibly.." 

"We're holding him off! Open that door!" He holstered his weapon. 

The others reluctantly did the same, and prepare for what they knew would be a one sided assault. They just had to survive it. For now, he seemed relatively peaceful, but the distance would soon be closed, they had to think of something. 

"Wesker-" Chris said softly, his voice filled with sorrow. "-It's me, Chris. We came here together..." 

At this point there was no way to know if he was even still conscious. 

He reached his hand out, in hopes a part of him could still be made contact with. "We don't need to fight..." He hoped against hope that his plea could somehow bring him back to normal. 

"Dammit... he can't have wanted this." Jake hissed through his teeth, witnessing the monster his father was made into. 

The clicking noises did not stop, they came continuously at one point; creating an awful symphony. But then everything stopped, he stayed put for a second before convulsing, chanting the absurd composition. That's when he ponced violently, scattering the group. They tried maintaining a safe distance, confusing the beast with their numbers. They managed to avoid bloodshed but there was no way they could keep this up for long, Wesker's movement were feral, desperate, far from the elegance and composure he always maintained. He swung his claws through the air in a frenzy, a loud screeching scream adding to the chaos. The black substance covering his eyes gave them a slight advantage; as long as they could manage to stay out of his grasp they would be safe. 

"Leon! We need that door open, now!" Chris shouted. 

"Almost there!" 

The exchange of words seemed to infuriate their plagued comrade, whom swung his claws directly into a nearby wall, scarring it. 

"There!" The door made a loud beep and swung open. 

"I'll find the serum!" Jill ran inside, she knew what they needed. 

Leon joined the fight "We need to pin him down if we hope to give him the shot." He shouted above the confusion. 

The agents wrestled their rampaging adversary. 

"Dammit! Don't let him catch you!" Helena warned. 

She had brought attention to herself and Wesker pounced on her, at the last moment Jake was able to get her out of danger but ended up the victim instead. Pinned on the ground, held by his neck he felt the cold fingers of death gripping at his throat. He struggled to get loose, another clawed hand raised above him prepared to pierce his heart. 

"Dammit stop!" he shouted in desperation, "It's me Jake! I'm your son dammit!" 

The hand came down with force, piercing the ground instead. The hand gripping his neck released him, instead finding its way to its owner's head. He stumbled back and off Jake. Under the screeching; the pained scream of a man fighting for consciousness. Seemingly trying to claw off the substance covering his body he slammed his body against the wall before repeatedly hitting his head back into it. In an homage to the amount of pain he was suffering and in vain hope to cast of his demons. 

Jill came out of the room not a minute too soon, a syringe at the ready. "Chris, grab him." 

Refield acted fast, he went behind him and forced his arms behind his back. "Give him the shot!" 

The tip of the syringe buried itself into his neck and she administrated the doze. Its effects were immediate, the matter seemed to melt into his flesh as it regained its pale coloration. The sharp edges disappearing under his skin as he screamed in agony with an exhausted voice. Minutes later it stopped, the only remnant of his monstrous form; his arms and his still deformed jaw. He fell directly in Chris's arms, unconscious.

The group reveled in silence for a while, glad to put the incident behind them. Chris still holding the man, he replaced a lock of his hair; he had never seen it so disheveled. 

"We need to find some place safe, we can figure out what to do later." 

"I'll grab more dozes." Jill informed softly. 

"Alright, we're heading back to the infirmary we passed earlier, there are beds there." Chris lift up the man in his arms and rested his head on his shoulder, taking good care to insure he would be comfortable. The loving gestures did not went unnoticed, indeed, they were plain for all to see...


	8. Justice & Ambition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Happiness never made anyone rich or famous. That must be why ambitious people avoid it.”   
> ― Marty Rubin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, might not have been as fluffy as I had intended but actually the opposite ahah! Anyway, the story is going the way I want it to go :) I hope you will enjoy my latest chapter! I hope to read your thoughts <3
> 
> And thank you so much for reading!

In the darkness of the infirmary Chris laid the injured man in one of the beds, his body heavy from the lack of consciousness. His head laid to rest on a pure white pillow, a lock of his dark hair fell on his forehead. It wasn't long before blood stained the sheets, open wounds closed with difficulty; letting life leak. Chris gently put the roguish wisp of hair back into place. Even asleep his expression remained cold and unapproachable, hints of sorrow painted in his frown. He maintained this tortured expression. Chris felt helpless, he was surrounded by medical supplies, all the technology he could possibly need and yet... he could do nothing but wait for the wounds to close on themselves. Unconsciously, he had grabbed Wesker's hand and had been holding on to it for quite a while now. At times he could feel a Albert's hand closing on his and while that might have been perceived as a sign of hope, he knew it was nothing but the work of tensed nerves.

"Chris..." A feminine voice called out to him in a gentle tone. 

The man turned around to meet the eyes of his partner. She looked concerned, sad, even. She offered a brief smile, in hopes to comfort, but she knew there was little she could bring herself to do right now.

"It'll be fine, his wounds are already closing. He just needs time." He turned his attention away from Jill. 

There was a long, uncomfortable silence. Jake shattered it with a few words; "What is he for you..?" He spoke everyone's mind. 

"Excuse me?" Chris responded ominously, obviously in a foul mood, he still failed to realize his fingers were intertwined with the man's he supposedly loathed. 

Sherry shivered, she had hope that this discussion would not come until later... much later. She feared it would suffice to shatter their brittle facade. 

"No one would fuss over their enemy as you do." The young man remarked. "Even among comrades, it certainly is a unique way to care for someone." 

That's when Chris realized what he was referring to. Although he had dreaded the day when he would have to put words onto his feelings, right now he felt nothing. What's a declaration if you loose the one you love? Nothing but empty words of what could have been. 

"What do you want me to say? That I care for him? That we love each other? No matter what I say, there are no words for what we are. I can't explain it, he probably can't either." He chuckled humorlessly. "I would have to spend years detailing every bit of our lives for it make sense and even then... You want the truth? We found each other in a world where we don't belong together and it's tearing us apart. With every steps we make in the right direction, something pulls us yards apart in the other. Justice pulls me to the right and ambition pulls him to the left and there's nothing in between but a few smiles and a few tears." His hand held Wesker's tightly as if to prevent it from slipping. "Each time we meet we grow closer and closer and we both know how it's going to end..." He sobbed loudly, his voice shattering. "... with one of us dead and the other broken." He bit his inner lips, struggling to regain his composure. "So yeah, it's unique alright." He joked bitterly. 

Silence regained the space, humming in the air its sad melody. Jake had gotten rid of his condescending attitude, Sherry couldn't suppress a few whimpers, Leon and Helena felt the walls Chris had mounted around himself and Jill embraced the guilt in her heart, for she knew not what to say, she felt the feelings she held for Chris forbid her form taking action. They stayed a while longer in this stagnant suffering. 

"His wounds are getting better." Sherry managed to say, her voice strangled by hesitation. "At this rate he'll be back on his feet in no time." She tried offering encouraging news. 

Leon couldn't bear to let her uplifting attitude fall in death ears. "That's good to hear." He smiled warmly.

In a convenient turn of event, Wesker's eyes flustered open with difficulty, he looked at Chris, squeezed his hand weakly before shaking it away and sat up. He grunted painfully, bringing a hand to his forehead in an attempt to ease his pounding headache. 

"What happened?" Chris didn't waste time. 

"Long story." As always, he remained distant, unreachable. "We need to-" 

He was interrupted. "We don't need to do anything." Chris spoke angrily. "Not before you tell us why you brought us here." He was adamant, he and his team would not budge until they were met with answers. His previous gentle demeanor had subsided, as it always did once the mission had to take priority. The others had never given it too much thought, associating it with professionalism but now that they knew how hard it weighed on him, it was a sad display. 

Wesker seemed infuriated; "We don't have time for frivolous hows and whys! The clock is ticking and we don't have much time." He got on his feet and tried to go for the door but, Chris grabbed his arm and sat him back down. 

"No. You're not wriggling your way out of this. If your in a hurry then talk. Fast." 

Wesker, stubborn, as always got right back on his feet and stood in front of Chris. "You and you're... fucking!-" He grunted furiously but claimed back his composure. 

"We have your serum, it's useless to go-" 

Wesker spoke before he could finish. "Dammit Chris! It has nothing to do with the serum, or even with me! You think I'm a monster, fine! But don't assume you know my motivations. There are children here, another blasted attempt at succeeding at the Wesker project! That's why we're here! To stop it, to stop Spencer because I- I-" A visible distress transpired through his words. "-Because I can't let someone else suffer through this... It has to stop." The declaration left him breathless. "I want you to find them, and get them out of here. I'll take care of the rest." 

"Wha- But-"

"Please." 

There was silence once more. Chris's pale eyes met with Wesker's fiery gaze and he nodded. 

"Alright." He took his gun and disengaged the safety. "We'll find them." Justice pulled him to the right. 

"I believe they are being held in one of the higher levels. Head towards there, I'm going after Spencer." Ambition pulled him to the left. 

They left the infirmary together and were about to split up when Chris turned to face him. "Wesker." He called out. 

The man didn't turn around completely, instead he merely looked over his shoulder. 

"Be careful."

And the man vanished. 

\--

Once again they found themselves pacing rapidly through vast corridors and narrow staircases, their boot's thundering echoes as they climbed the unlikely structure of the underground facility. They had no need for words, everyone knew to follow their captain as they silently acknowledged his pain. They were forced to backtrack on multiple occasions, their search still leading nowhere. As they made their way up, closer and closer to the surface they felt they approached their goal. And finally they met with an imposing door, unlike any they had seen so far. More welcoming, less cold but still ominous. They were surprised to find it unlocked, and hoped they weren't heading directly into a trap, although the chances were slim. 

"Be on your guards." Chris warned, before pushing open the velvety-cushioned door. 

Inside, the walls were adorned with luxurious wallpaper; boasting golden and deep shades of red. Tall bookcases stood against the walls, filled leather-covered books. A few armchairs were placed strategically around the room, a few coffee table sat between them. A chandelier hung proudly above their heads. Further in, a corridor with numerous doors. They jogged towards them, the doors resembled the ones that held the B.O.Ws. Names were written on them, like in a dormitory. 

"We found them." Chris put aside his gun and tried to open the first door, they had no codes, no key cards and no time to look. 

"Let me give you a hand." Leon assisted him in trying to force open the door, it took great efforts but they somehow managed it. 

At first glance the room was empty, there were no colors, all white and nothing but the essential. No toys, no drawings, nothing that one usually associate with children. Upon closer inspection they could make out a small silhouette, hidden under the bed. Chris knelt down besides it. 

"It's alright, you don't need to be scared." He spoke softly, trying to convince his small interlocutor to come out. It wasn't long before a little hand reached out to pull herself out from under the frame. 

A young girl, couldn't have been much older than seven or eight years old, looked at them with big wide eyes; full of fear and hope. She had a white dress on, very proper and impersonal. Her blond hair; tied into a tress. 

"Are you okay? We're here to help." He smiled. 

She nodded and tried to smile too, she immediately seemed drawn to the other females in the group. And want to Sherry's side, holding on to her pants while looking up at her for approval. 

"We're getting you and your friends out of here." She comforted. 

It took time they didn't had, but they managed to bust open all of the doors, twelve of them to be more precise. An equal mix of boys and girls, all equally young and terrified now looked up to them to keep them safe. They had to come up to the surface and call for back-up, after that, they could go back in and assist Wesker. 

"Alright, keep in line and stay close to us." Chris instructed.

They hoped against hope that Wesker's diversion would hold up and that'd they be able to make it safely to the surface. And soon enough after they ventured into the wide alleys, it became clear that the man had been busy. Dismembered corpses and puddles of blood decorated most of the route they engaged. As much as they hated the idea of kids witnessing the horrendous display; they had no other options. It disturbed them how calm the children behaved, the sight of blood did not affect them and at that moment they were painfully reminded of the horrors these young ones must have been subjugated to. The ran for the surface. 

\--

Wesker materialized in a intricate room, the perfect roundness of the latter was mesmerizing. Nothing but white walls and white furniture in a room where a great many soldiers and one man, waited for him. 

"We meet again." He said, calmly. "Your puppets won't keep you safe for long Spencer, I will paint this walls red with your blood and theirs." 

The old man did not utter a word, the lasers of a ten machine guns danced unsteadily on Wesker's chest, awaiting simple orders. 

"You will resist. You will always resist." The elder spoke. "You were always an unruly child. Why must you continue to deny our fates? We are bound together." 

"You're right. I see that now." Albert replied. 

Spencer raised an eyebrow, surprised by the obedient response.

"This. Everything. It's our doing, our world, our vision... and it will end with us." He launched forward against the echoes of a thousand shot. 

\--

Chris and the others managed to reach the surface safe and sound and with the children unharmed. Leon radioed Hunnigan for back and asked to be put onto a direct line with the B.S.A.A. Soon, the whole cavalry would be here. 

"We made it." Jill smiled to the others, whom returned her enthusiasm. Except Chris. 

"I'm going back in." 

"What!?" Everyone reacted. "Chris this is madness, we need to wait for-" 

"Wesker is in there alone. You can't expect me sit on my hands, not after everything I said." 

"Yeah but-" 

"I'm sorry Jill." He turned around and smiled brightly. "But I'm going to let love stir me along this time."


	9. Show Stopper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “A flower bloomed already wilting. Beginning its life with an early ending.”  
> ― R.J. Gonzales, Mundahlia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I was excited to present you with the newest chapter so I worked really hard on it and its ready! I hope you will like it :) It is a very heavy chapter, still shedding mystery and doubt but everything will be crystal clear in the finale. I hope you will stay tuned and tell me your thoughts. To whomever made it this far: I really appreciate your support! Thank you so much!

"Chris wait!" Jill shouted. 

"I don't have much time, I have to find him." He didn't turn back to face her. 

"Woah there hero-" Jake interrupted. "-I'm coming with you." 

The captain stopped in his tracks before meeting the young man's eyes. "There might be no coming back." 

"Yeah well..." He took a few steps towards him. "Can't let you have all the fame." He smiled a little. 

Chris snorted a short laugh. 

"Besides, my father and I have some catching up to do." 

The man stayed silent a moment and then nodded in understanding. "Alright, we're heading in." 

"We're coming too then-" Jill tried to argue. 

"I need you guys to stay behind and take care of the kids. When reinforcement arrives you can head back in." Chris's voice was soft, gentle, he knew how painful it must have been for her to let him go. 

"Yeah, we'll leave some for you guys." Jake joked, Sherry jogged by his side. She knew this is how things had to be but that didn't mean she didn't worry or regretted having to let him face danger once more. The young man captured her cheek and plunged his eyes into hers before smiling brightly. "I'll be back before you know it." Their lips met in a bitter goodbye. He winked playfully. 

She couldn't bring herself to say anything, she simply returned his smile, their hands parted. 

"We'll catch up." Leon stepped-in. "Good luck guys." He and Helena smiled reassuringly. 

Chris and Jake turned around, prepared to go in once more. 

"Chris..." Jill called out one last time. 

He turned briefly, lending her his attention. 

"If anyone can make it, it's you. Come back alive, and... bring Wesker back." She laughed at the absurdity of her own words, sobs hidden behind it. "Okay, partner?" 

"You got it." He gave her the brightest of smiles in response and both men disappeared into the facility.

\--

Wesker stumbled back a few steps, blood tickled the side of his jaw as it streamed down to his neck. He managed to regain his footing and dodged a few bullets with grace. Out of ten, only four soldier remained. They held strong however, and his body was failing, he could feel the strain in his muscles every time he took a breath. Wounds covered his shape; bullet holes, still fuming. The burning sensation addled his perception, he had lost count of how many hit him. He had managed to take cover behind a table he had flipped over, he checked his magazine; only three bullets left. 

"Give up Albert." Spencer's voice echoed in the room. "There is no use in throwing your life away, and for what?" 

Albert stayed silent, bracing himself for the upcoming hostilities. He had trouble keeping his breathing steady, he needed more time and so he indulged in the old man's weakness for speech. 

"Old friend, you should know by now. I am a fickle individual." He readied his gun, three bullet, four soldier and one target. 

"This Redfield character poisoned your mind with nonsense. Do you really believe you can turn the tide of one's life so easily? Nothing you can do now will make amends, you have been branded a monster by a the people who despise you and yet; you would throw everything that you are, everything that you worked toward, and for whom? For them? For him?" 

"They are nothing but stubborn fools, I'll give you that. But they showed me times and times again that determination always prevails when you fight for the right things. Mark my words; I will be your downfall." He repressed a pained grunt as blood came gushing out of his mouth, he manages to strangle a cough. Spencer had taught him the importance of never revealing one's weakness and he intended to follow his advice, if only so that the old fool could feel remorse as he would draw his last breath. 

Spencer let out an unnerved roar. "Kill him!" 

The soldiers gunned down his cover, forcing him out of hiding. Everything around Wesker seemed to slow down as he launched out of cover in elegant gymnastics. He fire once; the bullet found its way in the head of the first mercenary. His hands hit the floor as he worked his way back on his feet. He shot again; the second bullet plunged in the second man neck. One bullet left. He manged to get into position so that his final shot could bring down the last of his foes. However, he knew he couldn't dodge their fire if he hoped to nail that shot, he braced himself to sustain punishment as he emptied his magazine. He succeeded in bringing down the two agents and tried to move out of harms way; one bullet grazed his cheek, two other plunged in his shoulder and a stray one hit his knees. He let out a groan, gritting his teeth. 

Silence fell on the room. Wesker brought himself up with difficulty, blood loss blurred his vision but through sheer determination he regained his sense. Proceeding to pace toward Spencer. The elder took out a small weapon and tried to shoot but was disarmed before he could do much, he fell on the ground. 

"So-" Albert started, "-This is how it all ends." His voice was grave, never in his whole life had he spoke with so much emotion. Resentment, rage, desire for vengeance but also; grief, sorrow and nostalgia. 

Spencer stayed silent a while but let out a small laugh, it persisted and developed. Before long he was scraping his lungs laughing. Albert let him proceed without flinching. It stopped. "You were supposed to carry my legacy." He finally said in a feeble voice. "I had hopes that you would become the hammer of justice in this new world we were supposed to share." His head was low. 

"You are, and will always be, the closest thing I've ever had to a father..." 

Spencer raised his head and their gaze met. 

"I once had hopes that you would see me as a son and that we could carry on as a family... But, that was a long time ago..." He readied the gun he had taken from him.

The old man's eyes swelled up. 

"I forgive you." He said, managing a small smile. "Let that be enough. Fear not; if hell exists, I will find you there. Farewell father." 

A single shot echoed into the distance. 

\--

Chris and Jake stopped abruptly, the sad melody of a gun being fired bounced on the walls. 

"There." Chris indicated, they resumed their running. 

Following the trail of corpses they finally reached the white room. Painted red with blood, as Wesker promised. The man stood up among dead men. Chris recognized Spencer laying dead at Albert's feet, a gun laying besides him. 

"Wesker!" He exclaimed. 

The man turned around to meet the eyes of both of his son and the man he held dear. 

"I didn't expect you to come back." He spoke sincerely, a hint of sadness in his eyes while his lips couldn't repress a faint smile. 

"We came back for you, let's get the hell out of here." Jake urged. 

Chris's and Wesker's eyes didn't part. Something was wrong. 

"Now child, it never is that simple." He laughed, it was earnest and melancholic. 

"What?" Jake's voice was nothing short of a whisper. 

Albert paced down the few stairs that elevated him. closing the distance. 

"This is no fairy tale..." His smile remained, reassuring, as he spoke words of sorrow. "No happy ending..." He reached for his son's and ruffled his hair, his gloved hand warped around his nape as he pulled him in for an embrace. "You're a fine young man, and you're nothing like me." He giggled. "Which is good." He laughed louder, it was as if his heart had melted and softened; revealing his true self. "You remind me of your mother..." 

"My mother..." Jake repeated, confused, his head resting on his father's shoulder, blood stained his cheek. 

"It is true that I didn't know her very well but what little I did know... She was a remarkable woman. And she gifted this world with you, how could I seek to destroy something you hold a place withing?" He tighten the embrace. "She kept you safe and that alone his worth a thousand thanks." 

"Dad..." The young man voiced was strangled with emotion. He wrapped his arms around the father he has always wanted. Breaking down, sobbing loudly. 

Wesker's eyes found their way back to Chris's. "Thank you." He said without words. He broke the embrace, patting the young man's back, he brought his lips to his forehead and kissed it gently; like you do a child. And smiled. 

"Chris..." He started, "I think we both know how this is going to end; "-with one of us dead and the other broken" wasn't it?" The words tore at Chris's heart. "Except..." He picked up, "... I've broken you years ago and I was never whole to begin with." He took Chris's hand and pulled him toward him. "You don't need me..." He brought their forehead together, every words felt like a lost kiss. "One day you'll wake up and realize this was nothing but a bad dream, and there will be nothing left but old scars that haven't aged well. Maybe it will remind you of a certain night." He snickered, closing the remaining distance he whispered in his hear. "You just had to go and make me fall in love didn't you? You always enjoyed making things complicated." They kissed and it tasted of the end. 

"Albert..." He whispered once he regained his breath. He shut his eyes tightly, tears came flowing down. "It's not too late...We can make it work..." He understood the absurdity of what he was implying. 

"Reinforcements are here, we're heading your way!" Jill's voice came through the comms. 

"We're running out of time." The tall man declared, "You know..." He paused. "She loves you. And you love her too, perhaps, in due time; the two of you will find each other." Admitting it tore at his own heart. 

"Don't do this..." He still couldn't repress the overwhelming sorrow drowning him. 

Jake stood there, unable to comprehend what was to come. 

Wesker parted, he went back up the few stairs. "I am now the only remnant of a fallen organization. Put me down and Umbrella is no more." He was facing away. 

"But!" Jake tried to argue, but his voice was stuck in his throat. 

"There is no shadows without light. The B.S.A.A... no, S.T.A.R.S.; It started with you and me and that's where it'll end... Chris." 

The door busted open and Jill and the others, with the B.S.A.A in tow barged in. Wesker reached for his holster and took out his Samurai Edge; pointing the barrel of an empty gun at Chris. "Let's make this a show stopper..." he whispered to himself. "...Our last battle."


	10. Hand in Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story.”   
> ― Frank Herbert

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the last chapter folks, I'm sorry it came a bit late, hopefully you can still find a way to enjoy it :) I hope the ending will suit your taste and I wish you a good read; let me know what you thought in the comment. 
> 
> Ps: I am working on a Patreon to release original stories; once it is ready I hope to see some of you there as well. More information to come.

A droplet of blood ran across the cold metal, caressing the trigger of an empty threat. Golden letters engraved in the grip, filled with the red of a fading existence. Holding a life time of remorse with nothing but one hand, he felt the weight of the burden he was made to carry. The pain straining his muscles numbed by the ache in his heart. Time flowed differently, stretching one moment out into a thousand just so he could watch a single tear run down this man's cheek in a fascinating spectacle. But the clock never stopped running, and time bled once again. 

"Freeze!" A lieutenant shouted, noticing the muzzle pointed towards his captain. The rest of the soldier gave suite, pointing their sights on to Wesker. 

"Hold your fire." Chris warned, hoping to avoid more bloodshed. The tears on his cheeks didn't go unnoticed. "Wesker-" he started, "-lower your gun, we-" 

"I'm done talking." the reply cut him short. In the blink of an eye, he had gone back to being the monster everyone made him out to be, it was a sad display. He holstered his gun, silently dreading the hostilities to come. He had hoped that; by threatening their beloved captain, the B.S.A.A would grant him a quick death. Fate had decided otherwise, such as they were; things would not allow Chris to pull the trigger unless he had no other choice. And so he had to force his hand. Admittedly, he could have turned the same gun he had used to killed Spencer on himself, but a twisted sense of pride stilled his hand.

"Wait-" Chris pleaded but his voice, tainted with sorrow, fell in deaf ear.

Albert mustered what little energy he had left and launched forward, genuinely attempting to his counterpart life. Although he did not believe in gods, he had come to believe in fate and if fate had decided that Chris should die, then maybe this beguiled pride would stir him down a different path. 

Chris barely managed to dodge what would have been his end. Struggling a moment to regain his footing, once back on his feet he was forced to acknowledge the threat Wesker opposed. Guns at the ready, the only thing his men needed was a signal. For a split second Chris considered giving the order, but then remembered the promise he had made to himself; to give love its chance.

"I want everyone out of here." he barked the instructions as if they made sense, but his intentions remained unclear to the rest of his crew. The stood their, hesitant, it was fortunate that Wesker had little to strength to spare. Otherwise he might have taken their lives in order to achieve his goal.

"But sir-" The same lieutenant argued, surprisingly, another voice rose. 

"Get your troupes out of here lieutenant." The soft voice of a woman broke their doubt, "We've fought him before, you'd only be in the way." Jill dismissed the crew, joining sides with her partner. Their eyes met and she nodded solemnly, she would not let his resolve falter. 

The team moved out on their superior's order, none suspected the approaching outcome. They wished their peers good luck and disappeared behind closed doors. In the blood painted room, only the small team remained. Chris, Jill, Jake, Sherry, Leon and Helena. And before them, a man that wished for nothing but the sweet release of death. 

"You are making a mistake, Chris." He inhaled sharply, pain torn his side. "I will hold nothing back, today will end with only one of us standing. There is no other way." He exhaled deeply, the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. 

"You're wrong, there's another path." The man stood proud, allies by his side, ready to fight and die for a thing they called love. 

Wesker let out a small laugh, burdened with sadness. "Words are no longer enough. Fight me then, I cherish the chance to be proven wrong again." 

He readied himself for another attack. And his opponent stood ready to withstand it. And so he engaged in a deadly dance, his movements; flowing like the blood out of his vein. Like a fading work of art, he performed a choreography of violence as though he had rehearsed it a thousand time. The balance of strengths was obvious to all. Overwhelmed by the destructive beauty of his murderous intents they gritted their teeth, and each blow they endured. Exhausted, bloody and bartered, their resolved didn't waver. The burden of defeat started to weigh heavily on Wesker's mind. Still, that stubbornness, that desolated pride, kept him from giving in. Aware that he alone fought, while the others simply on him to give up. His breath was unsteady, he too; reduced to a bloody mess. He landed on his feet a few meters away, wobbling, he fell to his knee. 

"You stubborn imbeciles... can't you see-" He coughed up a fair amount of the black substance. "-this needs to end. What could their possibly be after this?" Remembering the pact they had made before setting out together drawn a frown on his visage. "If I turn myself in, then what? Your derailed system will exert its puny justice? And the masses will drown in a false sense of accomplishment. I care little for their display of power, let it end here and now. I wish to die away from the prying eyes of a society I despise." The speech left him breathless, panting heavily; he fell silent. 

Calm reasserted itself, order out of chaos. 

"I know what I said." Chris started, holding his side. Bruises and cut adorned his abdomen, it hurt to stand and yet he did. Taking a few steps toward his nemesis, his rival, his lover, his friend. "I also know that nothing we do will ever bring back the lives you've taken." He knelt down in front of him, had Wesker not held his head so low, they would have faced each other. "Now's not the time for tedious hows and whys, for more wars... Its time to live and forgive." He offered his hand for him to take. 

"Do you not see this absurdity? And what exactly are you suggesting? That we move in together, in a nice little house on the countryside?" He laughed humorlessly. 

"I've heard of worse fate." Chris replied, a smile stuck on his face. 

"You're insane." Wesker brushed off his initial surprise. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again. One day you'll wake up and realize that what we had was a mistake... What if one morning you wake up by my side and this reality hits you? Where will I be then? And me, no matter how much you change me, I'm not sure I'll ever be rid of this insidious madness. What if I plunge back into insanity? Where will you be then?" It was clear that the thought tortured his heart. "I don't want to live long enough to regret the feeling I have for you now... Please." His fiery iris plunged into Chris's pale emerald gaze. "Even should we attain peace, there will always be someone willing to strip it away from us. As long as I breathe, there are tremendous risks... why would you be willing to entertain the possibility of another attack?" The question resonated inside Chris's mind, but the answer was simple. 

"Because I love you." He scooped the other man's cheek in his hand. "I said it before, didn't I? Now isn't the time for tedious hows and whys." He smiled. 

"Dammit, let me go." He sobbed audibly, his expression twisted by pain, he could feel himself giving in. 

"No." 

The simple rejection swayed him, and he cried, laugh and shouted in anger all at once. Letting himself fall in the arms of the man he loved.

Fate smiled, her work accomplished. 

\--

Months went by, after the incident, know only to the B.S.A.A's official and a handful of government agents things seem to calm down. The children left orphan by the experiment were taken in by proper families. Each and every one of them, given a chance to lead a normal life. Chris had his sister; Clair oversee their re-integration. Last he heard, things were going smoothly. Jake had been made an agent in thanks for his services, allowing him to work alongside Sherry as her partner; both in life and on the field. Jill had offered Claire her aid, now she served under TerraSave; helping those affected by previous attacks. Although, she liked to come and oversee things in the B.S.A.A from times to times. Leon and Helena still served together, proud to have joined forces with the B.S.A.A on their last mission, under their watchful eyes grew a solid alliance. With help from Hunnigan; the official report was delivered, stating that the mission had been a success. The laboratory had been picked clean, samples were destroyed and others frozen and locked away in a secret location. Written clearly at the bottom of those pages; 

"Albert Wesker, Status; deceased." 

This concluded their last intervention, serving to put some mind at ease in the process. Chris flipped the last pages of the report, closing the folder. 

"So, you're certain about this." Jill stood in the door frame, her hips leaning against it. 

"I've never been so sure." He laughed a little, putting the last of his belonging inside a small cardboard box. 

"You know these boys are going to miss you." She adorned a earnest smile. 

"Ah, come now, this isn't farewell. But it's high time for me to take a bow." 

"Well, you earned it." She paced towards him and hugged him tightly. "I'm proud of you... partner." 

He returned her hug and they walked together out the door. 

Later that day, in a press conference. Chris Redfield announced his retirement. Leaving the B.S.A.A in the able hands of his peers. There was a surprise, a party, a few tears and a lot of laughs and at the end of the day he left that life behind. Driving home, away from the city. Beautiful trees and far reaching fields surrounded the area of a peaceful little town north of the big city. As the sun set down, he parked his trusty old jeep down the driveway of a charming little house. Red bricks, massive wooden beams painted white, two chair around a little table on the porch. A few potted flowers hanging from above, their petals rocked by a gentle breeze. He opened the door and was greeted with the fine aromas of dinner being cooked. A feline brushed along his legs in a welcome, the little bell around its neck rang joyfully as to express its mood. Leaving his shoes behind he made for the kitchen. The walls; painted a light beige reminded him of a certain motel. Standing in front of the stove, stirring a broth, Wesker noticed him and smile gently. 

"Welcome home." 

The retired captain hugged his lover from behind, kissing his neck. His shirt, twice unbuttoned teased his shape, a sweet fragrance emanated from his clothes. Their little companion paced back and forth between them, purring wildly. 

"I'm home." Chris whispered. Loosing himself to bliss. 

"Happy news-" Albert started, while brushing his claws into Chris's hair. "-Jake and Sherry are getting married." 

"Seriously?" The news brought a bright smile to his lips. 

"No. I am well known for my jokes, didn't you know." Hints of sarcasm. 

"Yeah yeah, but this is great!" He laughed, still engulfed in his lover's neck. 

"I never went to a wedding." Albert remarked. 

"Well... guess you'll get your share of them after this then." 

"What are you saying? It's only one wedding, how strenuous can it-" He froze silent once he noticed the little box presented to him. He let go of his wooden spoon and turned around to face Chris, incredulous.

"We can't have an official ceremony, obviously, but..." Chris opened the tiny box, reveling a golden alliance. "That doesn't mean I can't make you mine." His eyes, hopeful and nervous waited for an answer. 

"I know you were crazy but... I never thought you were worse than I am." He let out a thundering laugh, so many new expressions Chris had never seen him make. 

"Will you marry me?" 

"Yes." He didn't stop laughing. 

Together they would share many firsts and from then on out they would walk this earth hand in hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for making it all the through to the end, hopefully the story brought you joy and excitement and laughs and maybe even a few tears! I can never say thank you enough, your support is what inspires me to continue writing on this breakback chair of mine, you helped me discover one of my passion and I can never express how grateful that makes me. I hope to see you again on some of my other works! Thank you!


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